Norway Itinerary Comparison

[Linda-E]

Hi Folks,

 

We are trying to compare two itineraries for Norway/North Cape next summer. What are the pros and cons of the ports on each of these? Any "must dos"?

 

Century ports:

Alesund, Alta, Honningsvag, Tromso, Molde, Olden, Bergen

 

Grand Princess ports:

Stavanger, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Trondheim, Honningsvag, Tromso, Flamm, Bergen

 

Thanks,

Linda

[luvnorway]

Suggest you post your question on the Western Europe board = sub-forum of the Europe board since Norway isn't in the Baltic. Also, if you search the individual port names as well as key words like "Norway", "Norwegian", "fjords" etc., you'll find a lot more info there. Although some Baltic cruises do include the occasional Southern Norwegian port like Oslo, it isn't the spectacular, scenic Norway that is the attraction of the itineraries you're considering.

Here's a link to a thread on which I posted a lot of detailed info previously

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=402924

 

We've done over a dozen Norwegian cruises (try to do one every summer) - have been to all the ports you listed many times except Molde (only twice - both in the 90's) and have never been to Alesund, Alta or Olden (but definitely plan to get there sometime!) I offer this info just so you're aware of the limits of my experience. Again, you can likely find info from posters who have been to these ports in by searching the Western Europe board.

 

If you haven't been to Norway before, I would select Grand Princess of the two options you mentioned, but suggest you also check HAL. You might also want to investigate some of the lines that run smaller ships in Norway and therefore spend more time cruising in the narrower fjords and "inland passages" than the huge ships that go out to sea when travelling from port to port.

 

IMHO, GP's itinerary is better and its only significant drawback is the size of the ship - don't know how big the Century alternative is, but likely smaller. The larger the ship, the greater probability of longer lineups and tendering could be slower which gives you less time ashore.

 

The GP includes more of the best ports for fjord scenery - Stavanger (boat trip to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock), Geiranger, Flaam with the opportunity to take the incredible Flaam railway http://www.flaamsbana.no/eng/Index.html

[eldercruser]

The Grand Princess itinerary is far superior. Geiranger and Flam are not to be missed if going on a Norwegian cruise.

[tiggrrr]

The Grand Princess itinerary is far superior. Geiranger and Flam are not to be missed if going on a Norwegian cruise.

 

I agree that Geiranger and Flam are great "ports"/villages, but I would not want to be in either with a ship the size of Grand Princess!!

 

If you are only looking at the two options, I would go with Century as it is a smaller ship and the other ports offer some equally fantastic sites to be seen.